Anchors Aweigh

Today's blog post is contributed by David Trotta:

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. (Colossians 31-2)

Although it has taken on different variations and meanings over the years, the original phrase “anchors aweigh” is a report that the anchors are clear of the sea bottom and the ship is officially underway.

Anchors on a ship can be both a help and a hindrance.  An anchor can keep a boat safe in the midst of a storm, but if not pulled up from the bottom of the sea, an anchor can keep a ship from moving forward to its destination.

The word “set” in the above verse means to hold onto something firmly.  The apostle Paul encourages us to be heavenly minded and hold fast to kingdom principles, not worldly philosophies.

Because, if our hearts and minds are set (or anchored) to worldly things, we will never be able to move forward in the pathway God has set before us.

The things of this world will hold us back and keep us from reaching our destination, just like an anchor stuck in the mire at the bottom of the sea.

Be sure to set your heart and mind on kingdom things, then you can declare “anchors aweigh” as you begin to move forward in your destiny as God’s child.

Affections

 “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ,

set your hearts on things above,

where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

Colossians 3:1-2

What are your affections set on?

What captures and captivates your heart and your thought life?

You say you’re not sure?

Check out how you spend your money, your talents and your time.

They become an excellent barometer of what we value most.

What we value most we think about – a lot!

How different do you think the church would be if we took to heart this statement:

“To live beyond natural limits what you need to do is keep your heart and mind set on the Kingdom of God.”

What about the implications for the world we live in?

How different would it be if we each determined to set our affections on things above?

Too often we think that setting those affections heavenward means we abandon all things earthly.

Oh, really?

Consider one of Gods thoughts – “For God so loved the world...”

Who Takes the Leading Role?

 “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”

Romans 8:14 (KJV)

“That’s a good boy, you settle down right there at my feet.”

Who do you think a statement like that was directed to?

Most of us would say – man’s best friend – that was a direction to a dog.

You would think so, wouldn’t you?

But suppose I said – now please don’t get angry with me – that is how we often behave (even if we don’t utter those types of words) toward the Holy Spirit.

Ouch! That hurt.

It does hurt, sometimes the truth hurts.

You and I are to be led by the Spirit of God.

Too often we want Him at OUR beckon call.

We want to lead Him rather than being led by Him.

That just won’t work!

If those led by the Spirit of God are called Sons of God what do you suppose we would be called if we try to lead the Spirit of God ourselves?

Carnal Christians maybe?

Not exactly a badge of honor.

As a matter of fact, an unworkable arrangement in the Kingdom of God!

Pleasing the Spirit of God

 “Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.”

Romans 8:5 (New Living Translation)

Suppose we had a way, just before we drifted off to sleep at night, to take all of our thoughts from the entire day and categorize them according to whether they were thoughts of sinful things or thoughts that pleased the Holy Spirit.

Forget caffeine that would be enough to keep us up the rest of the night!

What dominates our thinking will dominate and direct our lives.

Like the driver who focuses on the side of the road and drifts in that direction with his car, so we too are ‘drifting’ in the direction of our thoughts.

That is why a transformed mind is so important to the believer.

While we may be made a New Creation in a moment, the transformation of our minds is a process we can move toward or away from.

Do you want to cooperate with the Spirit of God in the transformation of your mind?

Immerse your life in things that please the Spirit.

“How do I do that?” you ask.

Let the Holy Spirit and the Word of God begin to take the lead.

Become a better follower.

Not a follower of the flesh, but a follower of the Lord.  

When we come to Him sincerely and honestly and make that our desire, He is more than faithful to lead us.

Lock me up and throw away the key

Today’s blog post is contributed by David Trotta:

And remember, if you were a slave when the Lord called you, you are now free in the Lord. And if you were free when the Lord called you, you are now a slave of Christ. (1 Corinthians 7:22)

The bible teaches that the apostle Paul was imprisoned for preaching the good news about Jesus, but Paul was a prisoner in more ways than one.  Whether physically in chains or free to continue preaching the gospel, Paul’s heart was a slave of Jesus.

The wisdom of the world will tell you that being a slave to anything is bad, but the truth is we are all enslaved to something.  What holds your heart captive?  If it’s not Jesus, it may be a relationship, money, our careers, our children, or any other number of things.

But, it’s only when we are enslaved to Jesus that we are truly free. He is the perfect master, the only one who offers true freedom.  When we surrender all to Jesus, we are empowered to walk in our God-given destiny and be all that we are created to be.

In My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers wrote “The passion of Christianity comes from deliberately signing away my own rights and becoming a bondservant of Jesus Christ. Until I do that, I will not begin to be a saint.”

May this poem be the cry of your heart…

Lock me up and throw away the key.

I don’t want my heart to be a prisoner of anyone but thee.

A life sentence I desire, never again to be free.

A bond-servant to Jesus for all eternity.

No Denying This Miracle!

“For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.”

Acts 4:22

Perhaps an overlooked aspect of the healing of the lame man at the Gate Beautiful is found in verse 22 above.

Besides all the other things that could be pointed out about his age and the significance of this miracle, you have to consider that in this large city of Jerusalem there was forty years’ worth of witnesses to his condition.

In that span of forty years it is likely that thousands of people saw him

(and some of them on a daily or at least frequent basis)

They eyewitness accounts would certainly reinforce the miraculous work that was accomplished. Even the leaders that were coming against Peter and John testified in verse 16: “...what are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everybody living in Jerusalem knows they have done an outstanding miracle, and we cannot deny it.”

Peter and John had obeyed God and even their enemies couldn’t deny it!

They testified to the miraculous evidence of the Apostles obedience and to the power of the Name that Peter and John had proclaimed!

Are you living a life in the power that cannot be denied?

Times of Trouble?

 “If you falter in a time of trouble,

    how small is your strength!”

Acts 4:10

How strong are you?

Really now, can you sledge hammer that weight all the way to the top and ring the bell?

You know the one at the amusement park?

Well, it is one thing to do that when you are at your peak but could you do it when you have the flu?

Probably not!

Trouble comes to everyone on a host of different ways.

No one is immune.

It visits the believer and the unbeliever alike.

The principal in today’s verse applies to all.

Believers should draw their strength from an on-going and intimate relationship with Christ.

In times of trouble we need to draw nearer – it is no time to pull away.

Troubled times in our lives actually become a test and a revealer of our strength.

When we falter, it is time to draw nearer.

If we do, we will be strengthened and refined during seasons of trouble instead of faltering and failing.

The Denier is Now the Defender!

 “then know this, you and all the people of Israel:

It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,

whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead,

that this man stands before you healed.”

Acts 4:10

What a contrast between Peter’s denial of Jesus after he was arrested and then Peter’s testimony of the healing power of Jesus name in Acts 4.

In the earlier event he denies Jesus three times in the middle of the night to an individual of no particular significance and then - again not significant people in terms of the roles they play in the unfolding trial and crucifixion of Jesus.

(I point this out because of course each of us has significance before God!)

In Acts 4, Peter is speaking in broad daylight after having spent the night in jail along with John. Perhaps most significant, he is speaking before a large group that includes the rulers and elders, the teachers of the law, the High Priest and his family as well as many others.

They carried (or so they believed) all the power in Jerusalem!

Peter boldly and without reservation minces no words when he tells all of them that what was done by him and John was done in and through the Name of Jesus Christ whom they crucified!

What a turnaround testimony.

The denier is now the defender.

What a wonderful before and after picture of Peter following being filled with power from the Holy Spirit.

That same power is available to all of us...

Are You Ready?

“The horse is made ready for the day of battle,

    but victory rests with the Lord.”

Proverbs 21:31

Some say, when it comes to spiritual warfare – or for many facets of our walk with God for that matter – that all we need to do is sit back, rest and trust in the Lord.

While we certainly do need to trust the Lord they may want to read the first part of the verse above again.

The horse (considered a primary weapon of warfare in ancient biblical days) was made ready for the day of battle.

There are some things we can do.

We need to plan and we need to prepare and we need to commit those plans and preparations to the Lord.

Even our trust in Him does not come by accident.

We step out in faith and by experience we learn He is faithful, He is able to be trusted.

Ultimately our trust is to be in Him and not in our preparation and planning.

The wise will recognize both!

Unschooled Ordinary Men

 “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized

that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished

and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.”

Acts 4:13

In Acts Chapter 4 the religious leaders admitted to a miracle having been done at the hands of Peter and John in the Name of Jesus.

Still they counseled together how they might

“...warn these men to speak no longer to anyone in this name.”

These leaders were now to a point where they must openly deny the miraculous work even though it was evident to them.

Error leads us to do nonsensical things and to deny the truth even when it is staring us in the face.

Whether it was tradition, fear for the loss of their power or simply an unwillingness to admit they were wrong (pride!), these leaders were committed to a path of opposition to a work of the God they claimed to serve and represent.

God chose ‘simple’ fishermen, despised tax collectors and the like to bring truth to the people and not the ‘learned and wise’ leaders who claimed to know what God was or was not doing.

Don’t allow yourself, through pride or anything else, to stand in opposition to Gods’ work!

Walk so closely with Him that you do not allow error to creep in.

Walk so closely with Him that you do not reject the message because of the one carrying it!

Fully Satisfied

Today’s blog post is contributed by David Trotta:

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

(Psalm 73:26)

Have you ever pushed away from the dinner table fully satisfied after the perfect meal? 

A meal that included just the right portions of your favorite foods? 

Being married to the world’s greatest cook, I’ve had that feeling on many occasions.

In the above verse, the psalmist declared God was his portion forever. 

Like the perfect meal, only God can fully satisfy the hunger in our hearts.

The world offers many counterfeit foods, but not of them satisfy.

We will always leave the table feeling hungry.

Are you feeling unsatisfied today?  If yes, maybe you are feasting on something other than God.

After indulging in all the pleasures of the world,

the wise king Solomon declared the following in Ecclesiastes 2:11

“Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve,

everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.”

Filling our lives with anything other than God is meaningless and will always leave us feeling unsatisfied.

Solomon realized this at the end of his life and wrote about it to help us avoid the same pitfall.

Let God be your only portion. 

Only then will you feel fully satisfied.

In Increasing Measure

 “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness;

and to goodness, knowledge;

and to knowledge, self-control;

and to self-control, perseverance;

and to perseverance, godliness;

and to godliness, mutual affection;

and to mutual affection, love.

For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive

in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

2 Peter 1:5-8

Our walk with Christ is just that, a walk.

It is not a sit-in or nap time.

Peter writes this idea into his Epistle above with these words:

‘...in increasing measure...’

Not a ‘once and done’ measure but an increasing measure.

That reveals growth.

We were never meant to be saved just so we could go to heaven after we die.

We are ambassadors for Christ.

We are to be effective and productive in our knowledge of the One we represent.

Our walk with Him and our knowledge of Him should be intimate and growing day after day.

Oh sure, there will be setbacks.

But don’t let setbacks become excuses for not continuing on the journey.

Remember that perseverance is in the middle of the list in today’s scripture.  

That means we continue on even in the midst of struggles.

Is your measure increasing as the days on the calendar of life move on?

Hold Fast for Gods’ Appointed Time

 “Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the

temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day

to beg from those going into the temple courts.”

Acts 3:2

As many have pointed out, it is probable the beggar at the temple gate was there most every day.

It is very likely then, that Peter, James, John, even Jesus had passed by him more than once on their way into the temple.

We can all speculate as to why but the ‘one day’ spoken of in verse one of this chapter was about to become the day for this beggar.

In biblical vernacular you might say the ‘fullness of time’ had come for him!

Maybe he was greatly disappointed at the number of times Jesus had passed him by – perhaps even thinking he was as low a person as some had no doubt told him he was.

We might even understand to a degree if regularly being passed by had caused him to ‘sour’ on religion.

What if Jesus, who knew all things, knew his hurt?

Jesus would also have known this was ‘fruit’ reserved for Peter and John after the Day of Pentecost.

In other words, Jesus’ unspoken answer to this beggar’s heart was not a “No!” – instead it was:

“Wait just a little longer, for your ‘one day’ is coming very soon!”

‘Hold fast for My appointed time!’

Could He be speaking that to you as well?

Steer Toward the Hope!

 “if you continue in your faith, established and firm,

and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel.”

Colossians 1:23

Have you ever had to swerve to avoid something in the road?

A deer suddenly darts out or a car crosses the double solid line and you are forced to swerve to avoid a collision.

When you consider the word ‘swerve’ it usually is not a term you would use if you were giving someone directions as in:

“Drive two miles and then swerve to the left at the fork in the road.”

Swerving implies a sudden unexpected response.

The writer of Hebrews declared –

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess,

for he who promised is faithful.”

Hebrews 10:23

Hold on unswervingly to the hope you profess.

Don’t let life’s surprises cause a sudden unexpected response out of you.

In those moments, hold on to that hope.

Keep both hands on the wheel of your faith and steer toward the hope!

A Habit to be Thankful for

Note:  We, in Upstate New York where this blog originates, suffered a significant wind storm on Wednesday of lasdt week. Subsequently, much of the area, including our home, lost power from Wednesday thru Saturday and as a result we were unable to bring you the blog. We appreciate everyone of our readers and thank you for your patience in our absence. It’s good to be back and in keeping with David’s post today we are certainly most grateful for electricity and all those who worked hard to restore it.  

Tody’s blog post is contributed by David Trotta:

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

An honest evaluation of my thought life recently revealed how little energy I expend on giving thanks for things in my life and how much time I spend complaining about the perceived difficulties in my life.

The Lord recently challenged me to reverse that trend.  So, I tried a little exercise.  I took sixty seconds and listed things in my life I am thankful for.

What I thought would be a difficult exercise turned out to be just the opposite.  When I started to list things I was thankful for, they were coming to my mind faster than my lips could speak them.  I discovered that there were things to be thankful for even in the midst of what I thought were hardships.

My point?  When we stop the complaining and reverse our thinking, we realize there are far more things in our life to be thankful than things to be disgruntled about.

I firmly believe if we make it a regular habit of recollecting the blessings in our life in all circumstances, our lives will be forever transformed.

Valuing the Lessons Failure Can Teach

 “The Lord upholds all who fall

    and lifts up all who are bowed down.”

Psalm 145:14

How have your past failures helped to shape who you are today?

Some might consider that an odd question.

We like to think that only our successes are what have shaped who we are.

But there is great value in our failures too.

We hurt ourselves when we do not take the education that failures offer us.

If success is the ‘pat on the back’ and failures the ‘spanking’ then both are necessary in the process of growth.

We were encouraged this past Sunday to consider three opportunities that failure can bring us.

They are:

-         Failure adds to our knowledge and understanding

-         Failure builds our character

-         Failure emphasizes our need for God

Of course none of these will happen if we do not take the lessons that failure offers.

You have undoubtedly heard the expression “Don’t waste your trials.”

Well I would challenge you to simply replace that word ‘trials’ with ‘failures’ in that quote.

The Holy Spirit not only stands beside us to lift us up after we fall but to help us take away from those failures valuable lessons.

Don’t allow your failures to be wasted by not learning the lessons they teach!

On to the Next Adventure!

 “You, Lord, took up my case; you redeemed my life.”

Lamentations 3:58

What are some ‘forever things’?

“...His love endures forever...”

“This is my name forever...”

“You made your people Israel your very own forever...”

“The Lord reigns forever...”

While those are just a short list of forever things from scripture, there are some things all of us will face in life that ae not forever.

Failure is not a forever thing.

There is recovery, there is redemption.

We need not stay in the place of failure.

We said previously that failure is inevitable in everyone’s’ life.

That can be said confidently.

With equal confidence we can declare that failure need only visit but not take up residence in your life.

God redeems your life from destruction.

He will redeem your life from failures when you hand them over to Him.

Don’t dwell in a place God is calling you out of.

Rise from failure to move into the next great adventure God has waiting for you!

Death, Taxes and...?

 “My flesh and my heart may fail,

but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

Psalm 73:26

Let’s add one more to the list...

You know the list – two things are certain in life, death and taxes.

Well, how about failure?

The question is simple; it is not if you fail but when you fail!

Show me someone who hasn’t failed (no, you can’t point to Jesus, we all know He never fails) and you’ll be showing me someone dishonest.

We are all visited by it, it happens to the best and the worst of us.

It started with Adam and Eve and continues to this day.

Abraham, Joseph, David, Peter – and the list goes on and on.

Funny thing about failure – the harder we try to avoid it, the easier it seems to catch up with us.

While it hurts to fail, the sting is so much greater when we fail to learn from our failures.

The Book of Proverbs would call that person a fool.

Let’s not be foolish, but wise.

Let’s learn from our failures.

Let’s start by admitting we have had a few.

Then let’s move on and grow from what they can teach us...

Red Lights

Today’s blog post is contributed by David Trotta:

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning. (Psalm 130:5-6)

Have you ever been in such a hurry trying to get to your destination that it felt like you were catching every red light? It happened to me recently.  I became so frustrated that I briefly entertained the thought of sneaking through the red light.

This past Sunday, our pastor shared how God spoke to his heart to stop complaining about all the red lights.  No, not the red lights he encountered while driving, but all the red lights God put in His life to stop him from moving forward until it was safe to proceed.

Without red lights, our streets would be chaotic and extremely dangerous.  Red lights protect us.  They keep accidents from happening.

God also puts red lights in our life to protect us and direct our steps.  He closes doors and forces us to wait until the timing of His perfect plan comes to pass.  He does so to keep us from situations that can result in unnecessary pain and suffering.

I often thought of red lights as a nuisance, but after this Sunday, I won’t look at them the same.

Don’t complain about red lights, but embrace them as God’s perfect plan for our life.  The next time you encounter a red light in your life, take the opportunity to look for God’s fingerprints in your situation.

Are You Willing?

“Then Peter stood up with the Eleven,

raised his voice and addressed the crowd...”

Acts 2:14a

Much can be said about Peter being anointed to speak on the day of Pentecost and how he this previously Jesus-denying fisherman was emboldened and empowered by the Holy Spirit to clearly and emphatically deliver the message that he did.

After all, who takes their theology from a fisherman?

However, taking nothing away from the equipping for ministry that the Holy Spirit alone can bring,

 Peter still had to find the faith to stand up and speak up.

You and I have two plus centuries of examples of what it is to minister with the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

Peter had had but a few minutes.

God will equip us to fulfill our purpose and calling but that does not mean He will do it for us.

He will do it through us!

We still, like Peter, have to stand up and speak up when He provides the circumstances for us to do that!

Are you willing?

Leaving Things in Order

 “until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions

through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.”

Acts 1:2

Jesus left things in order!

He was taken up to heaven and all that needed to be set in place before His ascension was done.

He left no loose ends behind.

He didn’t need to turn around and come back because something had been overlooked.

That does not mean, though, that His followers had every circumstance and every future question answered.

It does mean that when Jesus was taken up to heaven the apostles knew what they needed to know on order to do what they had been commissioned by Jesus to do.

They were to go to Jerusalem and wait for the promise of the Father – the promised Holy Spirit.

That next step would bring an infilling of Gods’ Spirit that would lead them in the days, months and years ahead.

Jesus left things in order.

When we leave a ministry, a job or even this earthly life, are we leaving things in order or in chaos?

Jesus left things in order.

As much as we are able to, we should do no less!